Misery, Grief, and Humanity-Part II in A Series of Conversations
by Nothing Really Specific
Summary: Part II of "A Series of Conversations". Reepicheep assists a fellow crew member in dealing with loss and hopelessness as well as question Caspian's leadership in a situation in which he did not act humanly when he should have. (Note: Sensitive subjects- loss of a child, moving on from death, humanitarianism. Advanced Language- aka, very in character) PLEASE REVIEW!


**Misery, Grief, and Humanity**

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**Part II of _A Series of Conversations_**

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There was, in the crow's nest, a centaur by the name of Lionel. He was the lookout and since the seas were calm, it was daylight, and the ship was currently in the middle of nowhere, he decided to sit down for a moment. His legs however, were in great pain.

You see in the middle of the night, Lionel, who slept standing up (for he was a centaur after all) tripped over something in the dark and broke his left front leg. Nevertheless, he was successful in doing his duty to the King and Country and sat in the crow's nest.

Lionel winced in pain as he woke and decided to stand but realized that he was having difficulty doing so. He pulled himself up and saw something in the distance.

It was small, red, and appeared to be in a bundle. He decided to see what it was and so he flipped himself over the side of the crow's nest and fell towards the ship, but maneuvered himself well enough to clear the ship and splashed into the water.

Reepicheep, who was walking along the rail, something that he did often when there was downtime. He was on the side that Lionel was jumping off, was startled and almost went overboard himself.

"Man overboard!" The rodent cried as he pulled himself to his feet, for he had slipped due to the shock.

Caspian, who reacted quicker than most, heard the cry for assist, rushed over and instinctively jumped in.

Lionel was swimming underwater, for gravity had pulled him down a great deal and he slowly made his way up to the surface. He was a natural at holding his breath.

He surfaced, took several breaths of air and continued swimming towards the red bundle as if his life depended on it.

"Lionel!" Caspian cried, a bit annoyed, "what are you doing?"

"There's something out there!" Lionel called back.

"Leave it!" Caspian said, "we probably lost it in the night, besides, it's of no use to us anymore. Now come on before something bad happens."

"I already broke my leg sire!" Lionel said, "Now if you permit me I would like to have a swim towards whatever this thing is- it sooths me."

Caspian rolled his eyes and re-boarded the ship.

"What was that all about?" Reepicheep asked.

"Lionel is being a dunce." Caspian said. "He thinks that just because he broke his leg that he can disobey like that. I'll speak to him later." A towel was draped over him by Edmund who was nearby.

'I think you're judging prematurely Your Majesty," Reepicheep said.

"Oh," Caspian said in a semi-condescending way, "and why do you think that?"

"Look over yonder." The mouse said pointing towards the centaur who now placed the bundle carefully on his back, for he was swimming above the waves now doing a canine paddle of sorts, and headed back towards the ship.

The red bundle was an infant. He was crying- alone, afraid and the left arm was broken. He been out there for possibly two or three days floating on a small raft.

The centaur pushed onward, each stride grew more painful as the broken hoof struggled to move. Lionel screamed and began to go under very slowly.

"Need some help over here!" The centaur called as the pain of broken bone and inflamed muscle in his leg began to show existence and buckle.

Caspian, who was not about to go out again, walked back towards the main mast. Reepicheep shook his head.

"Unbelievable." The rodent replied and, knowing full well that he couldn't do much, jumped in away.

The rodent swam towards his comrade with electric speed. Reepicheep then took a breath and went under, swimming towards the problem. Lionel's leg was cramped up so tightly that it was almost impossible for him to move it. Reepicheep slowly worked the centaur's leg to the point where the cramp was out and Lionel could slowly move it. The rodent surfaced.

"Lionel, are you able to-" Reepicheep started to say when he heard the infant cry for the first time, and it was then he realized that the red bundle on Lionel's back was in fact, a human baby boy.

The bundle started to slip as Lionel started to struggle again. Reepicheep quickly swam up behind the centaur and tried to steady the baby on Lionel but the rodent was lighter than the boy was and with desperation the mouse dove under and tried to catch the infant from falling into the depths. He failed.

Reepicheep resurfaced.

There was nothing he could have done, he wasn't strong enough to lift an infant baby out of the water so he let him go. He hated to do it, and he wept while still in the sea, secretly wanting to go down to the furthest possible extent and stay there, dying with him. He dove.

Once.

Twice.

A third.

Each time his honor called him up to the air to breathe. After the third time Lionel was being assisted back in the ship. Reepicheep swam and scaled the side.

The mouse stood up on deck and saw the centaur, helpless on the boards. Reepicheep walked over to him, embracing him like a brother.

"It's not your fault." Reepicheep said, "it's not your fault."

Lionel protested. "Yes it is Reep, yes it is!"

"No it isn't!" The mouse cried, both literally and physically, "it was the storm of rage that occupied the King's mind, the storm of fear that occupied yours, and the storm of helplessness that occupied mine. In the finding of grief and misery, there is always the hope that life goes on. It does. It goes on even when you want it to cease and stop behaving like a member of country but a member of the deceased. Life continues, and so you should continue. It's going to be fine, for the sun rises each morning."

"But why did he have to die?" Lionel asked, "If only I hadn't broken my leg, if only I were strong enough to save him!"

"'Twas not your laceration that caused that boy to die. Nor was it your inability to deliver him from the inevitable fate. If anything you showed perhaps the greatest kindness anyone has ever shown him- the chance to breathe for final moments, to be secure in fatherly embrace, to be loved in a way never before felt. The happiest moments in his life."

"He drowned Reepicheep," Lionel said, "he drowned."

"I know, I saw, I abetted and I failed to do it today. I swear that whoever casted this child out into the unforgiving sea shall bend at the knee, I swear to you that justice shall be but not today. Perhaps not tomorrow either but there will be due process." Reepicheep said.

Lionel still felt sorry for himself, still felt guilty, still felt that he could do more, that he could've done something to make this boy's life longer, possibly to adulthood, if he could've held on just five minutes longer without giving in to his injury. Then the boy would be alive instead of the bottom of the sea.

"Come on Lionel," Caspian said, "get back up to your post."

"Where were you?" Reepicheep asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Where were you when innocence was thrown and was attempted to be regained? Where were you when pain and suffering was here and was trying to be abetted? Where were you when hope was lost and found again? Sipping tea? Conversing strategy? Among your other peers instead of the one who needed you, who needed relief? And you dare call yourself a King among us men?"

"How dare you defy me!" Caspian yelled.

"How dare you defy yourself!" Reepicheep yelled back. "I have seen callous beasts like you, slain them too, all less mightier and less sinister. If this is your flag then I will not sail under it!"

"You denounce my claim?" Caspian said threatening.

"I denounce your humanity because you have none left. You have become a wyvern, one that has pierced his own heart, pulled it out, and devoured it. You're not a man or a King. You're just a boy with nothing better to do than play egotistical monarch. I thought I taught you better. I did teach you better you betrayed me!"

"No you betrayed _me_, I am your King!"

"You are the master of dybbuks and the lord of misery."

"Ha," Caspian said with a laugh, "you lie."

"Look at yourself!" Reepicheep cried pleading with him, "look at yourself. Tell me what you see?"

"I see a King." Caspian said.

"Then you are blinded by your errors and lead by foolish notions."

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_"If we desire a society in which men are brothers, then we must act towards one another with brotherhood. If we can build such a society, then we would have achieved the ultimate goal of human freedom." -Bayard Rustin _


End file.
